I can't imagine a better tagline for a library than "Not a Quiet Library." As a mother of small children, this makes me SO happy and immediately at ease bringing my sometimes loud and obnoxious children to a stereotypically quiet place. The Garden City Library is such a gem that I had to share about it here and over on our social media (go check out the reel we posted on Instagram for a little tour).
Read this excerpt from the "About Us" section of their website, "The Garden City Public Library aims to be a place where families and friends can feel comfortable engaging with each other, the community, and the written word. This is why our website proclaims us as “Not A Quiet Library.” Whether reading the paper and gazing at the Greenbelt, singing through a story time, or watching a YouTube video, we hope our library users will feel like they’re coming home." Isn't that just the best?
Located off Glenwood near-ish State Street, the Garden City Library shares a building with the City Hall. It's uniquely situated just off of the Greenbelt, next to a beautiful "pollinator garden" and little outdoor amphitheater of sorts. Inside you'll find the usual stacks and stacks of books but some other awesome sections as well.
The kids area is packed with a great selection of books as well as a couple cute play areas that are especially great for toddlers. There's a little play house, shopping carts, padded play area, toys and more! They also have a couple of tablets (with headphones) and computers set up specifically for kids. There's a great room for story times and other family-friendly events in the corner adjacent to the kids area.
Speaking of events, they have a popular story time most Monday-Friday mornings at 10:00am. These programs include Puppet Shows, Preschool STEAM, Toddler Tales, Music and Movement and a Bilingual Storytime. I've heard from MANY stay-at-home-moms say that this is a regular activity for them and it's been a great place to meet new friends. Check the calendar for details! There's ALWAYS something going on! (A lot of them are listed on the BWK Calendar as well.)
One thing I LOVE about the Garden City Library is their awesome collection of materials that you can borrow. From fishing gear to educational toys and games, they have a really great selection of items to take home and enjoy. There are so many cool learning kits, puzzles and family-friendly board games to choose from. Keep this in mind for your kids' upcoming winter break - you're gonna want to get out of the house and maybe something in their collection will provide an afternoon or two of fun and excitement at home!
What else is there to say about the Garden City Library? Leave your comments below!
Garden City Library Info:
Website: https://notaquietlibrary.org/
Hours: Mon & Fri, 9:30am – 5:30pm | Tue – Thu, 9:30am – 8pm | Sat, 10am – 4pm